19th C. Scottish Sgian Gralloch Hunting Dirk
 

My recent - and proud - addition to the very few examples of Scottish edged weaponry I am fortunate to have in my possession: a 19th-Century Scottish sgian gralloch, or hunting knife, from an estate in Perthshire. The double-fullered blade measures 8 3/4 in. / 22.2 cm, with an overall length of 14 in / 35.5 cm. Simple tooled black leather sheath with undecorated nickel-silver mounts.

Forman shows a similar example in The Scottish Dirk (#34). He also speaks to the short-lived popularity of mounting dirks in stag for "daytime wear" during the early 4th quarter of the 19th C, though this example seems to lack any "dressy" appearance and IMO closely resemble the more functional example shown in his book. In agreement with this assessment is a 55-year collector and dealer of Scottish arms and armor who has seen it and also described as it as a "hunting dirk."

Comments welcome... :)

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